- KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala has reshuffled two of his MECs in the KZN legislature executive.
- Finance MEC Ravi Pillay and Economic Development and Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube have traded portfolios.
- Zikalala said only the ANC had to be consulted about the changes.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has reshuffled two MECs, including Finance MEC Ravi Pillay, for the sake of "accelerating" service delivery.
Zikalala insisted that there was no other reason for the switch.
In a statement on Tuesday, he unexpectedly announced that Pillay would move to the Economic Development and Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) portfolio and that Edtea MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube would move to the Finance portfolio.
Pillay previously served as MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works while Dube-Ncube used to be the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
In a hastily-organised Zoom press briefing, the premier said: "Timing is everything. In all facets and departments, we need a new approach in accelerating everything we do. Timing is being pragmatic in everything we do."
Redeploying
He said they were redeploying the MECs because of expertise.
"We want to ensure we structure and align the functioning of government accordingly. A person deployed must have expertise, ensuring [that] implementation [is] on time and in a manner that is aggressive."
Zikalala added that the media and public were not informed of the reshuffle because no new MECs were introduced to the executive.
"You are not appointing a new cabinet. There is no one coming from outside. We didn't think it should be a big ceremony."
Zikalala added that the ANC was consulted about the initial swearing in of the MECs by the judge president of KwaZulu-Natal, Achmat Jappie.
"The ruling party was sufficiently consulted and this comes from that."
When he was asked if he consulted with tourism or finance stakeholders, he said he consulted with the Growth Coalition, a group which he said included business, the provincial exco, and the top 100 CEOs.
"We do not lead from [an] individual basis. We lead on behalf of the ANC and lead with the ANC. In the Growth Coalition, we agreed business has a role to appoint and elect [its] own leaders. [For example] those who lead in the Durban Chamber of Commerce is the mandate and responsibility of the business sector."
"Who becomes leader in a department or economic cluster, that is entirely the mandate of the premier in consultation with the ANC."
He said the environmental, tourism and business sectors were "with us".
"They will never come and tell us to tell them who will be the chamber head. We work together at [the] level of Growth Coalition."
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